A book—rare in our arid age—that takes root in the heart and grows there for a lifetime.

Here the spirituality of the East and the West have met in a novel that enfigures deep human wisdom with a rich and colorful imagination.

Written in a prose of almost biblical simplicity and beauty, it is the story of a soul's long quest in search of he ultimate answer to the enigma of man's role on this earth. As a youth, the young Indian Siddhartha meets the Buddha but cannot be content with a disciple's role: he must work out his own destiny and solve his own doubt—a tortuous road that carries him through the sensuality of a love affair with the beautiful courtesan Kamala, the temptation of success and riches, the heartache of struggle with his own son, to final renunciation and self-knowledge.

The name "Siddhartha" is one often given to the Buddha himself—perhaps a clue to Hesse's aims in contrasting the traditional legendary figure with his own conception, as a European (Hesse was Swiss), of a spiritual explorer.

mugenishere(Grade: F) I felt this story was somewhat crazy. I read half the book and then read the wikipedia summary. I don't have any comments on this. It's confusing.

(Rated on Dec 19, 2014)

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smaz(Grade: D) I didn't really understand this book. It was interesting enough to read through, but the story was bland, the action all takes place off the page, and the conclusion was not fulfilling. Perhaps it's a generational thing or the time I'm at in my life, or I just needed someone to go over it with, but I did not find this book to be worth reading